On Friday November 5, Julianna Woite (Digital Learning Technologist, adjunct faculty Department of Education) and Mary Beth Scumaci (Director of Online Learning), presented at the Blackboard Digital Teaching Symposium. Their session, Make ‘em laugh and Make ’em Learn: Using Humor and Pop Culture to Keep Students Engaged, was the number one rated session of the event, and the pair was asked to submit a proposal to present at Blackboard World 2022 in Washington, D.C. The lively seminar explored creative and meaningful ways to integrate pop culture in the online classroom and inspired instructors to embrace their lighter side. The presentation explored ideas and strategies to benefit any online classroom and highlighted techniques for connecting with students in ways that make them feel both inspired and at ease. The recording can be accessed through Blackboard: https://go.blackboard.com/digital-teaching-symposium#registerAnchor